1) The Gage Chicago

So The Gage was so good I took Alex back there last night after Run10 Feed10. I needed those loaded Shishito peppers back in my life. and we upped the ante with their PBR battered fried pickles and the venison burger with fries. And one of my favorite beers, the Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat (x2).

The Loaded Shishito Peppers. HOLY FREAKING YUM

Holy freaking WOW. No pictures (I tried, but the lighting was romantic, not illuminating, and it was just not going to happen) and no leftovers, and we left a bit food drunk and beyond satisfied. The venison burger was SPECTACULAR. Absolutely incredible. Brioche bun, gouda, caramelized onions, jalapeno, creamy mustard… I seriously can’t even. I finished my half and then considered taking Alex’s!

My regular burger this weekend.

After my meal there with the girls this weekend and getting the burger, I can certainly say that The Gage is a MUST if you are in the downtown Loop Chicago!

2) Nut Butter Filled Clif Bars

I know I have mentioned these before, but don’t expect that love to go anywhere. Thanks to a Clif Bar appreciation event that I attended with Erica and Alex on Wednesday, I am now the proud “owner” of all 4 flavors, and while Erica is sharing hers… I don’t know if I will be so charitable!

I don’t know which is my favorite–I am split between the Coconut Almond Butter and the Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. All I know is that I am one happy girl with one in my hands.

Bonus points if there is a LaCroix in the other 😀

Clif invited us to the party, but we were under no obligation to promote the products. I just genuinely love their bars!

3) Run10 Feed10

Not food per se, but definitely related. One of the best things about Run10 Feed10 wasn’t just the fact that my entry provided 10 meals to hungry children, but it was the fact that I got to run with some old training buddies (including Erica), Alex and I got our weekly run back (and this will be the last weekend to be able to do that from now until mid-October), and I got to enjoy one of my favorite sights: Columbia Harbor at twilight, and to run my old training route. It made me miss CES so badly!

I still have these little ties to it (I have a client who paces with CES and I saw one of my trainees at the Clif event), but I really truly miss the feeling of purpose and fulfillment that I got from leading those runs and seeing the trainees (who became friends). I don’t know what opportunity there is for me to return to CES, but I would definitely consider it!

Run10 Feed10 was lots of fun, if a bit oddly organized from a “serious” runner’s POV. But as a fun run around some of the most gorgeous parts of downtown Chicago, I totally loved it! It was an out and back course that took you from Macy’s State Street to the Pritzker Pavilion to the Lakefront Trail, around the Museum Campus and back. Every volunteer was so cheerful and lovely, and there was shirt screenprinting, a warm up before and workout after, and fun samples to try after the run. Plus, how can you argue with the fact that your entry provides 10 meals to the hungry?

My entry was provided for as a Chicago VIP, but we paid for Alex’s and fully support the Run10 Feed10 Mission!

4) Jicama

Alex was adorable, made a stop at Trader Joe’s on Monday on his way back from the gym, and got my jicama, because he knows how much I adore it. Little did he know (because he has been gone) that I had a giant jicama sitting in the fridge! So I have been eating jicama all week, and it has made me happy as a clam. Seriously, if you have never had jicama… GET ON THAT.

Take me back to Mexico, where I ate a jicama a day…

You can buy it prepped from Trader Joe’s, or just buy one at the store and use a knife to cut off the exterior. And then go. nuts. Eat it with dip, sprinkle it with tajin or pico piquin, a little salt and a squeeze of lime, or with hot sauce. Or make it part of your hummus plate dinner…

5) Bob’s Red Mill Textured Vegetable Protein TVP back in my Life!

I LOVE TVP, but I’ve not had it in my pantry since our move. Well, luckily for me, the folks at Bob’s Red Mill (a company that I love and adore) decided to help a Suz out and send me a bag of my favorite TVP! So I have been going nuts on it.

My favorite TVP brand so far is Bob’s Red Mill. Bob’s Red Mill was the first textured vegetable protein that I tried, and it is the one that I have returned to over others (including various bulk bin varieties) due to the texture, consistency, and the consistently excellent product. Bob’s Red Mill TVP cooks quickly and evenly and absorbs liquid and flavor better than the other brands out there, in my experience, and I’ve used it in everything from the above recipes to mixed into my oatmeal!

Bonus (not food): Anticipation (vague blogging moment)

I’ve been working on my new project all week, and I hope that I will be able to unveil it next week, if not the week after. Right now, honestly part of the reason why I’m sitting on it is that I need to nail down the right name! But even if I don’t have the perfect name, I will be debuting it ASAP. But I want it to be actionable and working when I “release” it, rather than bringing a shell of a project to you all. Almost there.

I am dying to tell you all about the other development in my life, but you are just going to have to wait. I don’t want to jinx it! But I ask that you cross your fingers and think positive thoughts for Alex and I on Sunday! I hope that I will have some great news to share with you then and on Monday!

I know there have been other awesome things happening this week, but honestly, the brain is tired and it is, as I said, way past my bed time. Have a great weekend all, and please keep your fingers crossed for me this weekend:

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Welcome to Suzlyfe

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Suzlyfe is a Chicago-based healthy life, fitness, running, and food blog that aims to educate, connect, and inspire: educate readers in an accessible way about fitness, running, and wellness; connect readers to myself (Susie) and others with the same interests and passions; and inspire all to live a life beyond expectations.Email Me

Though I am a RRCA Certified Running Coach and NASM Certified Personal Trainer with a chronic illness, a physician husband, and a lot of experience, and though I may seem like a know it all, please remember that all views expressed on my blog are mine along. Consult your physician before making any personal changes to your mental or physical health and wellness programs.